Despite Wild Finish, Falcons Lose to Drake 62-60

Dec. 3, 2011

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Ben Simons scored 16 points, Rayvonte Rice added 15, and Drake survived a wild finish to beat Air Force 62-60 Saturday in a Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge game.

Drake led the entire game, but almost found itself on the losing end after Air Force erased nearly all of an eight-point deficit in the last two minutes. The Falcons (3-2) had two shots at potential game-winning 3-pointers in the final five seconds, but Todd Fletcher and Mike Fitzgerald both missed.

Before that, Fletcher and Fitzgerald had each converted two free throws to pull Air Force within 61-60 with 42 seconds left. With 15 seconds to play, Fitzgerald fouled Karl Madison, who made one of two foul shots to put Drake (5-3) up by two.

On the ensuing possession, Fletcher's 3-pointer from the left wing came up short with five seconds left, but Clarke could not corral the rebound and stepped out of bounds with three seconds left. Fitzgerald then had a good look from roughly the same spot, but the shot did not fall.

Fitzgerald led the Falcons with 13 points and a career-high nine rebounds, while Michael Lyons also had 13 points and Taylor Broekhuis chipped in with 11.

Despite the solid free-throw shooting down the stretch by Air Force, the Falcons were only 22-of-35 from the line for the game and committed 15 turnovers. Drake turned the ball over 13 teams and each team had nine steals, with Fletcher and Taylor Stewart getting four and three, respectively, for Air Force.

The Falcons return home to face Wright State on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at Clune Arena beginning at 7 p.m.

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